Phase+3+—+Findings+and+Analysis

Students possess a deep awareness that there is a time and place for language. This finding was the biggest surprise I unearthed during the course of my data collection. My in-person interviews provided ample insight into this finding. The language used on the personal MySpace pages I tracked for this assignment further reinforced this concept. During my interviews at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School, both students and a history teacher — all African Americans — referred to code-switching, without any prompting from me. In fact, the teacher I spoke to admitted that his students “know how to switch” between the language they use with their friends and the language that is accepted in the classroom (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). The two eleventh grade students at Thurgood Marshall I interviewed proved to be articulate and fluent in Standard English (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). During our conversations, these students refrained from using any form of slang or textspeak (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). They identified me as a stranger, someone they didn’t possess comfort or familiarity toward, therefore refraining from addressing me they way they might address a friend or relative. One student has aspirations of becoming a lawyer and the other hopes to enter the healthcare field. I mention their ambitions because it contrasts with the African American experience I first encountered in Ernie Smth’s “Ebonics: A Case Study” (Delpit, 2002). Smith recalls that since “most of my encounters with the urban school system, were, in the main, very negative, I had no aspirations or intentions whatsoever or pursuing a post-secondary education” (Delpit 19). Furthermore, the Marshall Academy students are surrounded by African American role models whom emphasis Standard English, including the history teacher I met with. This also deviates with the experience Smith recalls from an older generation: The absence of role models who were Black professionals, coupled with my negative encounters and reactions to authority figures in general, such as my teachers … precipitated a reaction which ultimately was the basis for my belief that formal education was irrelevant (Delpit 19). The Marshall students I interviewed did not share Smith’s pessimism. Based on my research, African American teenagers and adults no longer disdain Standard English, but rather embrace it. This idea will be revisited in the discussion of my third finding.
 * Teenagers are aware they “flip the switch.”**

The Marshall students’ choice of language proved their understanding of language is as a powerful indicator others can use as the basis of judgments. One of these students admitted that when he uses his school speak, he tries to use his “AP vocabulary” (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). With his friends, it’s all about having fun; language is secondary (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). The other student said she tries not to avoid switching between her school speak and the language of her friends (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). This, however, she said is challenging: not all of her friends speak the same school language. When she does forget to flip the switch, her friends still understand her.

My conversations at Thurgood Marshall Academy offer a stark contrast to the language I found on the Internet, thus reinforcing my first finding. Teenagers see the Internet as a place to let loose linguistically. On Princess Kira26’s MySpace page, for example, there appears to be a disregard for most of the conventions associated with Standard English. At the top of her page, Princess Kira posts that she is “loved by all hated by few either way im on ur mind....” I was immediately drawn to the unconventional spelling and grammar in this short post. Princess Kira does not follow the punctuation rules associated with Standard English. Note that the one form of punctuation she uses, the ellipses, is not correct: “An ellipsis consists of exactly three dots called ellipsis points — never two dots, never four dots — just three dots” Fogarty, 20007). However, I prefer to emphasize the mere usage of ellipses in a forum so many users perceive to be void of any formality or governing principles. That Princess Kira used the ellipses at all conveys a certain level of fluency in Standard English.

The comments posted on Princess Kira’s page offer further support that teenagers are aware that context matters when using language. A post from a friend time stamped 10:34 p.m. on Sept. 19 reads “yeah, i know watchu mean .. HE'S good .. it's a boyy :)” ([]). This post, like those from Princess Kira herself, indicate a certain level of familiarity with Standard English. Further, it suggests the speaker is in control when using a medium like MySpace. She creates language rules to meet her needs and adheres to these rules at her own will. There is a laxity afforded to online language and textspeak. These teenagers’ post show speakers exercise flexibility in this language, a flexibility rooted in understanding the conventions of Standard English. Teenagers recognize that what is appropriate on their personal Web sites may not be welcomed in a more formal setting. Based on my community observations, students would never dare to speak or write in this language in a school environment. That is simply not the place for such language. This ability to flip the switch was a pleasant surprise. It suggests teenagers have a deeper understanding of language and its effects and therefore use it wisely.

The presence of languages other than Standard English and Ebonics was not something I anticipated during the initial phase of my linguistic dimensions study. What I found in my neighborhood exploration was a place rich with language diversity. In addition to Standard English and the slang I observed in less formal settings, 10030 has a strong presence of Spanish speakers and even an Arab-speaking segment of the population.
 * The 10030 community’s linguistic diversity goes beyond just Ebonics and Standard English.**

Unfortunately, I did not come across any Spanish language newspapers in my tour of 10030. But I did find plenty of examples of Spanish usage throughout the area, including the African Services Committee billboard I photographed and included in my picture gallery. I also collected a Spanish pamphlet at the Harlem Children’s Zone from the New York City Children’s Services about //conferencias preventivas del Equipo Familiar.// I find it compelling that my two examples of Spanish in 10030 relate to public service announcements, specifically health and family. I can’t help but wonder why the same information, specifically for the African Services Committee billboard is not also offered in English. What does it say about the community as a whole if such information must be communicated to residents in predominately in Spanish?

An interview with Marcus Ewing, an employee with Harlem Children’s Zone, underscored the role of Spanish in the 10030 area. The office serves a number of teenagers of the immediate community (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). All the Hispanic children who visit the center are bilingual and their presence is noticeable: “If there are 10 people in group, five are Hispanic” (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). These students might revert to Spanish only for private conversations in at the Harlem Children’s Zone, (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). In an ethnically and linguistically diverse group, Ewing said Hispanic teenagers express no difficulty communicating in a standard form of English (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). This is reinforced by U.S. census data showing 52.9 percent of Spanish speakers describe themselves as being able to speak English “very well” ("U.S. Census Bureau American Factfinder"). Ewing’s comments also relate to my first finding as they convey teenagers’ sense of code-switching and linguistic consciousness. The teenagers whom Ewing interacts with at the Harlem Children’s Zone communicate in language specific to their age, filled with pop culture references (Personal Interview, November 12, 2009). But at its core, this language is no different form other languages Ewing has observed teenagers using.

perhaps most fascinating — and surprising — was a July 8 copy of The Thinker newspaper I acquired at a neighborhood eatery on Lenox Ave. //The Thinker// is a newspaper that serves “the community with the information that clarifies and enlightens” and promises “the articles in the is paper are meant to stimulate discussion. Nothing herein is intended to offend any group of person. Think about it! J ” (//The Thinker).// The publication is “made possible by the leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed” and is free within New York City. inside, pictures of Africa were in the upper corner on every page. A verse from the Koran was quoted in English and Arabic, showing the depth of linguistic diversity in 10030. The presence of Arabic took me aback. But then I stumbled across another language that showed //The Thinker// truly understood its readers. Imam W. Deen Mohammed, self-proclaimed spokesperson for the salvation of the human soul, shared part of a recent public address on pages twelve and thirteen. In Spanish and English. Too often do we associate African Americans with just two languages: Ebonics and Standard English. Seeing the juxtapostion of the Spanish and English in a publication clearly targeting African American readers was unexpected, yet intriguing. As someone unfamiliar with African American culture, I appreciated The Thinker presenting the linguistic depth of African American culture. I was unprepared for this particular finding. The notion of African Americans as bilingual, as presented in countless essays in the Delpit collection, is inaccurate. My exposure to 10030 shows African Americans are trying to strike a balance among the languages.

The culture pride of 10030 runs deep. It is apparent in the community art, especially the mosaic I found at the 135th Street subway station. I appreciated 10030’s ability to balance its heritage with the diversity it now embraces. African Americans are the majority demographic

This was, without a doubt, the recurring theme in my data. All the literature I gathered in 10030 supports this as an implicit belief.
 * Standard English is recognized as the language of power.**

A front page story in the Nov. 11 //Caribbean Life// newspaper starts with “Haiti’s lower house on Saturday ratified Jen-Max Bellerive as the next minister of the French-speaking Caribbean country” (King 1). Its language and grammar match that in //The New York Times//.

The print version of //rollingout.com//, a publication committed to “style your mind” includes a paragraph in its Nov. 12 issue that reads as though it came from national tabloid or gossip blog: The Chris Brown-Rihanna saga was a very unique and confounding controversy. One would be hard-pressed to find something as potentially ugly as this scenario; R&B teen idol with previously squeaky-clean image, brutally pummels his superstar girlfriend the night before a major awards awards show. And both artists were at the height of their popularity (Williams 5). There is no trace of Ebonics or any informal version of English in this sample. This was not the language I expected to find in a newspaper showcasing the rapper Birdman on its cover. Its use underscores the power associated with Standard English. These publications want a certain level of respect and using Standard English awards them that validation. Publications like //The Thinker// should be lauded for their familiarity with their audience and their willingness to communicate on its terms, rather than adopt a language it deems the social norm.

The Facebook page for Democracy Prep, a high school located in 10030, is also revealing. The page is designed to relay messages from the school to students and parents. The page is brimming with posts referring to news organizations, such as this one time stamped 1:37 p.m. on Sept. 14: “//The New York Post// interviews Lottery attendees, noting that “the school's growing reputation was what made some of the lucky parents — like Belica Rivera — celebrate like they had hit the ultimate jackpot.” By quoting major news organizations, Democracy Prep is providing students and parents with examples of what acceptable — and Standard — English looks like. Moreover, the language Democracy Prep uses sets the tone for the school. The presence of Standard English sends a message about what appropriate language looks like. By visiting this page sporadically over the course of the assignment, I felt I developed insight into what Democracy Prep expected from its students. Yet, I also sensed the school valued Standard English over other languages. I’m not sure I would go as far as to argue that Democracy Prep wants students to “sound white,” but the emphasis on Standard English is undeniable (Delpit 8). This could related to a point Delpit raises in the introduction: “African American language has had a particularly stormy relationship with the educational power structure (Delpit XVIII). While there is “nothing inherently inferior about the language of African Americans,” the people I encountered dismissed it in favor of a more standard form of English (Delpit XX). Part of the reason for this dismissal of Ebonics could be due to the fact that “teachers do not know what to do about language diversity in their classrooms (Delpit XXII). Therefore, teachers might use Standard English as a way to promote academic success and promote linguistic equality among their students.

Even when the diversity of languages and voices are meant for celebration, Standard English conveys power and rightness. A pamphlet celebrating African American voices from the New York Public Library was written entirely in Standard English. This contrasts with the language being celebrated in its very pages. This is an injustice to the complexities associated with language. I believe writers make deliberate choices with their language and the library pamphlet sanitizes the richness these authors embody. Wouldn’t a quote from Colin Channer’s //The Girl with the Golden Shoes// appeal to potential readers more than generic blurb that reads: “In this story set on a fictional Caribbean island, a young woman embarks on a quest to obtain a better way of life.” That description does not do the book justice. Compare that to this dialogue from a character names Estrella: “It’s not stupidness,” she offered in the rumbling cadence of //Sancoche.// “It have a lot o’ things going on in this world we ain’t know ‘bout up here down this coast. Even in town things going on. Is only we don’t know nothing. All we know is fish. Catch fish. Scale fish. Eat fish. Fry fish” (Channer 23). Which would you rather read? Why not give an example of the hip-hop culture Micahel Eric Dyson tackles in //Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip-Hop// rather than describe the book as an examination of “hip-hop on the African American community and the global stage?” The use of Standard English reinforces its power. Perhaps if the library used the more distinct voices of these Black authors, the audience would be limited. It is my belief that the library, like the community newspapers I found, wanted to appear legitimate and the most effective way to do achieve this goal was to use Standard English in promotional materials. Standard English in this instance is a disservice to the authors the library intends to showcase and celebrate with this pamphlet. That’s unfortunate.

Works Cited:

Channer, Conner. The Girl with the Golden Shoes. Akashic Books, 2007. 23. Print.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/New-York-NY/Democracy-Prep-Harlem- NY/154650101254?ref=search&sid=2242749.4185144492..1

Fogarty, Mignon. "Ellipses." Grammar Girl. 01 06 2007. Quick and Dirty Tips, Web. 16 Nov 2009. .

King, Nelson A. "Haiti approves new P.M.." Caribbean Life 11 Nov. 2009, Manhattan ed.: 1. Print.

M. Ewing, personal communication, November 12, 2009.

http://www.myspace.com/princess_kira26

Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School, personal communication with students and faculty, November 12, 2009.

Williams, Todd. "Chris Brown is back ... but is supporting his comeback the same as abuse?." rollingout.com 12 nov. 2009: 5. Print.

http://www.myspace.com/princess_kira26

"Population 5 years and over by language spoken at home and ability to speak English.” U.S. Census Bureau American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau, Web. 16 Nov 2009. .